Guiding development
Policy in the Plan explains what kinds of development are appropriate in each part of the district, helping shape where homes, workplaces and services are located.
About the Plan
The Hertsmere Local Plan sets out the policy framework guiding future development and land use across the Hertsmere district.
Purpose and scope
The Local Plan is the central planning document for the Hertsmere area. It explains how land within the district should be used and developed over coming years, and sets the policy context against which planning decisions are made.
Residents, property owners, developers and other stakeholders use the Plan to understand the direction of travel for housing, employment, transport and the wider uses of land.
The Hertsmere Local Plan is the central planning document for the Hertsmere district, setting out how land should be used and developed over the years ahead. It provides the policy framework within which future planning applications are assessed, giving residents, property owners, developers and other stakeholders a shared understanding of the direction of travel for housing, employment, transport and the wider environment. Reading the Plan is the clearest way to understand where the Council considers growth appropriate and how new development is expected to be shaped.
Because the Plan operates as the policy context for decisions, it sits above individual planning applications rather than replacing them. Its policies are the starting point for determining whether a proposal is acceptable in principle, and many later decisions are taken in the context of what the Plan has already established. For anyone interested in a specific site, or in how a particular area is expected to change, the Plan and its supporting documents offer the most authoritative explanation of the Council's adopted approach and the reasoning behind it.
The Plan is supported by further planning documents, including the accompanying policies, proposals map and any adopted supplementary or area-specific material. These documents are published so that the process can be scrutinised by the public, and consultation stages are an important part of how the Plan is prepared and revised. Keeping track of the published documents and the consultation history helps residents and partners understand not only what the Plan says, but also how the Council arrived at its conclusions and how the Plan may be updated in future.
Land use
The Plan allocates land to different uses and identifies the areas that are protected from change, so the balance between development and conservation is clear.
A shared framework
By setting out expectations in advance, the Plan gives residents and applicants a common reference point when proposals for new development are discussed.
How the Plan is used
Planning decisions are taken in line with the policies set out in the Local Plan. It supports consistent decision-making, gives weight to long-term objectives rather than individual schemes, and provides the evidence base behind recommendations for how Hertsmere should grow and change.
The Plan is also a point of reference for community involvement: consultations and engagement on planning matters are easier to understand when the underlying policy framework is available to read.
- Background information on policy direction and scope
- Context for local governance and planning in Hertsmere
- A reference point for comments on proposed development
Reading the Plan in practice
Different parts of the Plan serve different purposes, so it helps to know what you are looking for before you begin.
| Material | What it covers | Useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Plan policies | The core policy framework for land use and development in Hertsmere | Understanding what is expected in a particular area |
| Drafts | Work in progress, including policies still under discussion | Following how policy wording is developing |
| Supporting reports | Background evidence and reasoning behind policies | Reading the detail behind a policy |
The planning documents page lists the materials available, with links to the relevant policy files.
Continue with the documents
Open the documents section for the plan policies, drafts and supporting reports, or return to the home page for an overview of the portal.